Monthly Archives: November 2017

The start of the holiday season as arrived, Heart Shaped Glasses Readers! It’s the peak time for shopping, stuffing oneself with delicious food, and gathering with loved ones. I’m already in the full swing and have consumed at least four different turkey dinners, pie (Pumpkin and Apple), and a variety of holiday themed side-dishes. I was told multiple times by my children that this is their favorite time of year and they begged and pleaded with me to hold off on unleashing the Christmas music until the day after Christmas.

If you’ve read my earlier posts through the year, you know that 2017 hasn’t been a fantastic year of celebration for me. It’s been a bit challenging, from the daily life and writing life perspectives. I’ve fought depression blues and learning a family member has dementia. That’s why I want to use this post to mention a few things I’m thankful for. There’s an plus in the small things:

My health

The ability to read

Friends, like my fellow authors on this blog and members of the Passionate Critters Critique Group.

Netflix – Stranger Things is something I’ve enjoyed immensely. Now, after binge watching both seasons in the course of a weekend I can finally check out the rest of it.

Tell me in the comments and be automatically entered to win a $25 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Anything counts, from being able to always find matching socks or celebrating 2 days. It’s the season of thanks and giving!

*Note: Contest only available to residents of the USA. Contest ends November 30th at 11:59pm PST and winner will be contacted via email to claim their prize.

Landra Graf consumes at least one book a day and has always been a sucker for stories where true love conquers all. She believes in the power of the written word, and the joy such words can bring. In between spending time with her family and having book adventures, she writes romance with the goal of giving everyone, fictional or not, their own happily ever after.

And thank you for coming and sharing your new release with us. All of us at THSG and our readers are always looking for something to read!

DON’T MISS THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY!!!

But first, we have pressing questions that must be answered. So, give it to us straight:

1. Did you always know that you wanted to be an author or did you have another dream?
From the time I was about five years old, I wanted to be a writer. At that age, I didn’t know what an author was. It took me a while to catch on that real people actually wrote the books I loved. 🙂

2. What were you doing the last time you really had a good laugh?
Watching a rerun of an I Love Lucy episode.

3. How long did you write until you were finally published?
OMGosh. Decades! (See #1 above.) Seriously. With short stories, the wait wasn’t as long. I think it was nearly a year to the day that I first submitted a short story that one sold—for $75. And a month to the day after that, I sold the second short story – for $1,000! Of course, there was that lo-o-o-o-ng apprenticeship to get there. But I thought my writing career was made. 😉
After selling more than a dozen short stories, I turned to trying to sell a book. That took twenty years or more to get to the magic place: the right book on the right editor’s desk at the right time.

4. What song always makes you happy when you hear it?
Appropriate for the upcoming season and my new release: White Christmas.

5. When you sit down to write, is there a ritual you have to do before you start?
Yes. Sadly, it’s called Too Much E-Mail. But seriously, taking care of the business end of writing frees my brain to focus on the fun stuff.

6. What is the wallpaper on your cell phone?
No wallpaper, just my most frequently used apps.

7. Did you learn anything from writing your book and, if so, what was it?
I learned many things. For example this one, thanks to my hero, Michael DeFranco: give a bitter, emotionally scarred hero enough motivation and you can watch him turn into a man any woman could love.

8. Do you have any advice for other writers?
As always, my number-one advice is: believe in yourself, and never give up. (And bookmark this blog post. When you get discouraged, read number 3 above.)

9. What favorite food puts you in a great mood?
Chocolate.

And of course, Just For Fun:

Leather or lace?
Lace.Black or red?
Red.Satin sheets or Egyptian cotton?
Cotton.Ocean or mountains?
Mountains.City life or country life?
Small-town. 🙂Party life or quiet dinner for two?
The quiet dinner.Dogs or cats?
Dogs—woman’s best friend.Hunky heroes or average Joe?
Argh! Please, can’t I have both?? If not, then average Joe, always—because to his perfect mate, he’s the hunkiest hero ever.

Don’t miss Barbara White Daille this Holiday Season!!

Christmas is in the air early this year and so are all the BOOKS. Get this one for a steal.

Single mom Amber Barnett loves family, kids, Christmas…and unfortunately, her boss, confirmed bachelor Michael DeFranco. It’s a crush she really needs to get over. Except, when she’s temporarily forced from her apartment, her only option is to stay at Michael’s private ski lodge, where she’s the housekeeper. No problem. Her handsome boss rarely visits Snowflake Valley unexpectedly, plus he’s spending the holidays with his family. Or so she thinks…

A stormy Christmas Eve reunion leaves Michael seeking the solitude of his lodge, where he finds Amber in residence—and in trouble. Attempting to save her from her matchmaking family, he announces they’re a couple. His good deed backfires when they’re instantly included in each and every holiday event in town. So much for solitude.

Only the more time he spends with the beautiful, cheery brunette, the more he yearns to make things real between them. But he and Amber want different things, and Michael could never be the family man she’s looking for.

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. Barbara also loves writing, reading, and chocolate. Come to think of it, she enjoys writing about those subjects, too!

Barbara wrote her first short story at the age of nine, then typed “The End” to her first novel many years later…in the eighth grade. Now she’s writing contemporary romance on a daily basis. Sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest in her writing life: https://barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter.

Beth jumps into life with both feet...or head first. Impulsive and spontaneous to a T, she joined Passionate Critters and never looked back. She loves writing and reading, which made this wonderful group of woman a perfect match for her.

I’ve never been a huge fan of holiday stories. But this year, for some reason, I had the urge to write a Christmas story. This was around September, and I asked my publisher, Entangled, if I wrote a Christmas novella, could they get it out in time for Christmas?

They said yes. Yay!!! It was pretty short notice. So a huge thank you to everyone at Entangled, particularly my fabulous editor, Brenda Chin, for working so hard and so fast.

Bittersweet Christmas is based in the world of my Order series (paranormal romance, vampires, werewolves, fae – you name it, the Order has it) and it’s a little lighter than my usual stories (only one person dies, and honestly, they really, really deserved it) though I have to admit that my version of Father Christmas isn’t your usual cuddly Santa Claus.

Bittersweet Christmas releases on 27th November and it’s available for pre-order right now at only 99 cents.

BITTERSWEET CHRISTMAS

Orphan Liam Ryan isn’t asking for much this Christmas–just his Uncle John. And he’s counting on Father Christmas to find a way to make that happen.

But when Father Christmas tosses Liam’s letter, claiming that the kid is asking the impossible, his daughter, Winter, takes over. Half-pixie, Winter, longs to do something important with her life, starting with getting a job at the Order of the Shadow Accords, the organization that polices the supernatural world. When she discovers Liam’s uncle works for the Order, it seems like fate.

Savaged by werewolves and bitten by a vampire, no one knows what to expect of John Ryan, but it won’t be anything good. So there’s no way he’s getting involved with his nephew…or anyone else. Worse, he’s getting a babysitter over the holidays. But when he meets irrepressible Winter, all that matters is whether she likes her guys to be naughty or nice….

Do you enjoy holiday stories? What are your favorites. Let me know for a chance to win an ARC of Bittersweet Christmas.

Nina Croft grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain.
Nina writes all types of romance often mixed with elements of the paranormal and science fiction.

I have a bag that says “One cat short of crazy cat lady.” I have surpassed that mark. I am officially a crazy cat lady.

My family got a new kitten. This makes two cats and two dogs in my household. It’s ridiculous and yet… I can’t imagine life without them. She sleeps with my youngest daughter. She climbs up on my chest and kneads me, purring madly. She’s adorable and wild. And we feel so good that we’re able to give her a forever home.

However, one member of the household isn’t as thrilled as the rest of us. Meet Farrah Pawcett–my first cat. She’s pampered and sweet. She never scratches or bites.

Except now, she walks around growling menacingly at the kitten, and swatting her away if she gets too close. Now, I know that if Farrah wanted to hurt Harley (that’s the kitten–my kids named her Harley Quinn and I thought, “Why not?”), then she would. She’d scratch or bite her.

She doesn’t do that, but she is agitated by this new addition. I’m hoping she’ll start feeling more comfortable with the kitten, and less annoyed, and maybe they can coexist, like in this last picture. (Farrah was asleep when Harley snuck up to sleep beside her.)

I’ve been asking everyone with any cat experience if there’s anything I can do to help this process along. Do you have any advice? Or funny stories to share about your pets? I’d love to hear from you!

Lover of nail polish, pens, her Kindle, and fresh coffee. She likes romance filled with messy, real characters and lots of snarky banter. Reading was (and still is!) her BFF; when she discovered writing she fell in love. Come for the snark. Stay for the story.

Roll out of bed, park ourselves in front of the computer, hair not brushed and still adorning our favorite pair of pjs or sweatpants, coffee in hand as we pound out the words to our next novel. Maybe we brushed our teeth, maybe we didn’t (this is a judgement free zone). We cringe when we pass by a mirror, wondering if we were body snatched.

I’ve done it. Plenty of times. #noguilt #bedheaddontcare #pajamadayeveryday. Eventually though, I have to do something that allows me a mental break. I need a moment to reset or I fizzle out (and I was specifically ordered by some of my Nano-ing partners in crime that there will be no fizzling unless it involves a beverage).

Seriously though, if ever there is a time that we, as authors, should pay attention to ourselves, it is during the lovely month of November. We push ourselves to the bring, pulling our hair out, putting in the time and the words to hit that magical 50k+ in a single months time. Every man, woman, and child participating will need to take a step back, regroup, breath, and let themselves focus on something else for even a mere fifteen minutes.

My own personal take on self care probably varies from the many pieces of advice floating around. I tend to look at things I don’t typically allow myself the time for during even a low key writing month or work day. Here are my ideas for self care…

Read a book. I’m often so busy writing or dealing with family shenanigans that I don’t do this enough. It’s nice to read a book. It takes your mind on a journey not of your creating. You don’t have to think, you just go along for the ride.

Bubble baths. #luxury! I love a good bubble bath. As a parent, you are often lucky to find a single solitary moment in which you can have a peaceful moment in the bathroom, which is why this is a self care luxury in my book.

Go get a massage, manicure, or pedicure. Letting someone else do the pampering for you….you will feel like a king or queen for a day.

Take a hike. No not in the mean get the hell out of here sort of way. Literally go for a hike. So many great spots out there where one can convene with nature. I’ve found some great ideas from hanging out with ol’ Mother Nature.

Go have a girls or guys night out. Sometimes, just hanging with the friends is just what the doctor ordered.

Follow the family dog or cat’s lead and curl up for a little afternoon snooze. I don’t do this often, and I will admit to sometimes taking it so far that I wake up feeling a bit groggier than when I put my head to my pillow, but man when I manage a simple power nap, I come back refreshed!

I have many more things that go on my list, but these seem to be the ones that always seem to get my mind working again…and sadly they are also the ones I usually avoid like the plague. However, this month I am planning a #nanoselfcaresunday journey. Every Sunday, on my Instagram, I will post a selfie of how I am indulging in a little self-care.

How do you take care of yourselves during this month of endless writing, yelling at the blank screen, and overall writing chaos? Join with me on my Instagram journey…who knows, maybe we can make it habit and it will just become part of what we do from here on out. I’m game.

Beth jumps into life with both feet...or head first. Impulsive and spontaneous to a T, she joined Passionate Critters and never looked back. She loves writing and reading, which made this wonderful group of woman a perfect match for her.

I am not participating in NaNoWriMo this year, but wish everybody who is GOOD LUCK.

I know writing is your focus right now, so I thought I’d share some really easy and fast dinners you can make this week so you can afford to squeeze in more writing time. These are all recipes I have tried and have made more than once, so you KNOW they’re yummy.

Jennifer Shirk is a USA Today bestselling sweet romance author for Montlake and Entangled Publishing who also happens to be a mom, pharmacist, Red Sox fan, P90x grad, and overall nice person. Check out her latest sweet romance: CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN

Our LATEST Buzz!

The first two books in the Cupid's Cafe series were released in June by Lori Sizemore and Landra Graf *** Lori Sizemore'sInfamous was released on December 14. *** Julie Jarnagin's Cowgirl in the Kitchen is available now. *** Bethanne Strasser LETTERS FROM HOME from Entangled Publishing is available now! *** Nina Croft's latest books, Her Fantasy Husband, a hot contemporary romance from Entangled's Brazen line, and The Order Boxed Set, a compilation of the three full length novels, plus a new novella, exclusive to the boxed set, both released in April 2016 *** Debora Dennis's holiday novella, A PROPOSAL & PUMPKIN PIE is on sale for .99 through Thanksgiving.

Search for:

Welcome to Heart-Shaped Glasses!

From suspense to sweet or sinfully erotic, or in the past, present or future...we write to entertain our readers. From aspiring to multi-published, we are romance authors, seeing life through our own heart-shaped glasses. Enjoy the view!

Subscribe to HSG via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.